Atticus Orodine
Atticus Orodine, a member of the Black Lotus and bodyguard to Kata Mochizuki, is a mysterious Master Assassin. He is intelligent, swift, agile, and extremely deadly. Never trust the man as his loyalty is to himself and no one else. He is always willing to cut someone down if they get in his way; this includes fellow Black Lotus members. Background Atticus Marcellus Orodine was born to a poverty stricken family - an abusive father who drank too much and a mother who blamed him for the death of his younger brother. Abuse, neglect, and starvation were a daily thing for Atticus and his brother, Maven. During his younger years, Atticus and his brother were never seen apart. When their father got drunk, it was Atticus who would receive the brunt of the beatings. Much of their time was spent away from home and away from their father but when they came home their father would take his frustration out on Atticus. One day, when things were getting out of control, Maven had enough and took a knife to their father's back. In a fit of rage, the father struck out at Maven so hard, that he was tossed to the side and struck his head on the ground. The boy was knocked on conscious but blood spewed from a wound on his head which led everyone to think he was killed. Atticus had enough and pulled the knife from his father’s back then cut the man’s throat and repeatedly stabbed him until he stopped breathing. Since their mother did nothing to stop the years of abuse and did nothing to save Maven, Atticus turned the blade on his mother. He showed her no mercy and made a bloody mess of things before running away from home. His actions that night would shape his future. Living on the streets was rough; digging through garbage for scraps, fighting off thugs, and just trying to find shelter for a night was almost unbearable but he made do. Atticus ultimately fell into a life of crime and became an enforcer - a person who would intimidate or murder others for various small time crime syndicates. His brutal but efficient techniques had piqued the interest of some very important people. After being hired by a mysterious employer to assassinate a local drug dealer, Atticus was nearly arrested by local authorities after they were tipped off. He was able to evade the authorities and disappeared into the night. A few days later, Atticus was contacted by a Black Lotus recruiter. Apparently, that assassination job was a test of sorts. Now working as a Lotus assassin, Atticus has made a vicious reputation over a course of a decade. He honed his skills as an assassin and learned that the shadows were his greatest allies. Personality Atticus is an introvert who almost always speaks without emotion in a calm, formal manner. He only speaks when he feels the need to and when he does, he keeps his words short and to the point. His lack of empathy or excitement while committing acts of murder, violence, or any other acts considered extraordinarily evil defines the assassin which makes him a considerably deadly foe. He is often detached from the outside world and isolates himself due to numerous betrayals as a younger adult and the result of an abusive childhood. Despite the lack of social skills, Atticus is an intelligent man who is constantly observing his surroundings and assessing for any threats. Atticus has, for the most part, avoided relationships due to the demands of his job, the lack of trust for other people, and because his occupation doesn’t tend to draw in the ladies. However, it’s said he once fell in love with one of his ‘marks’, a fatal mistake, since the woman turned out to be an assassin as well. He eventually killed the woman he loved. When it comes down to it, Atticus only looks out for himself. He isn't loyal to any one organization or person; this includes the Black Lotus. He has serious emotional scarring and his quiet intimidating demeanor may be considered a façade or cover to seal away the pain locked deep down in his heart. He is a broken man who cares not about his own life and wanders life alone. Involvement *Repurposing ( Kata Mochizuki and Asher Coalburn) Summary: Atticus is contracted out by the Black Lotus to protect one of their Petals, Kata Mochizuki. During their initial meeting, several "zombie-like" Lotus operatives attempt to kill the Petal but both Atticus and the mysterious Asher Coalburn kill the Lotus operatives. In the end, Asher disappears. *Strictly Business ( Kata Mochizuki and Michael Lux) Summary: Kata Mochizuki, under the guise of a doctor, meets with Michael Lux to arrange a job. Meanwhile, Atticus is set up in an over-watch position with a sniper rifle fixated on Michael in case things went south. *Shoving Off ( List of Characters) Summary: Atticus pays his dues to ensure a spot on Captain Desmond Reaket's ship for the journey to the surface. The assassin is hoping to find lost relics of his family's past. *Saving Face ( Kata Mochizuki) Summary: Kata Mochizuki tasks Atticus with assassinating a well known Governor who is allies with Anton Gibbs. In an effort to embarrass the Authority to the public eyes, Atticus must assassinate the Governor by making it seem like an accident. Relationships Kata Mochizuki - I was employed by the Black Lotus some time ago to protect the life of one of their Petals. At first, she kept from me that she was a high ranking official in the Lotus and acted as if she were just a doctor. After some events during our initial meeting, I was forced to use my skills as a trained killer to protect the woman. My actions proved to her that I would go through great lengths to protect her and carry out any order from her as per our contract. She eventually confided into me and revealed herself to being a Petal. I will continue to protect her until our contract expires. -The Petal is one of the select few who knows my true identity. Equipment Atticus typically carries various poisons, a garrote, and a few other small deadly tools of the trade. Although his magic is limited, Atticus has learned to use his power with the combination of his mask to twist the thoughts of others and amplify their fear. He is a master swordsman and wields two short swords; one blade is sheathed horizontally on the small of his back while the other one his sheathed vertically along the right side of his back. Additional Information -- Atticus' alias is Calavera when he is fully suited up in his gear with the skull mask. Only a select few know of his true identity as being both Atticus and Calavera.